Get to know our new members - January 2021

New Commercial Arts

Describe your agency in a photo.

Describe your agency in no more than five words.

Brand comms meets customer experience.

What’s the most important thing to your agency?

That we all look forward to working together every day.

What does the future of advertising look like to you?

Experiential.

Why have you joined the IPA?

It’s a unique organisation that allows to meet our peers, learn together and then go out and compete against each other.

Open Partners

Describe your agency in no more than five words

Smarter Faster Better

Which piece of work are you most proud of?

Our culture is predicated on building an industry that is better for everyone, and there is one small but perfectly formed piece of work that embodies that goal more than any other. In April 2020 we were approached by a hospice to help them with their fundraising efforts in their moment of crisis. Particularly important to one of our team who grew up 'down the road' from the hospice with childhood friends working for and supported by the hospice, we leapt at the chance to help, and developed a digital campaign to engage the local community. Our combined efforts helped them raise more than £1m in donations in 2020; more than 10 times that achieved by other hospices in their area, and far exceeding their expectations.

What’s been the most challenging/interesting campaign you have worked on?

Lockdown challenged us more than ever before, and simultaneously brought to bear some of our best thinking and most interesting execution. Launching the first facemask company on TV was a topical challenge, not least navigating Clearcast compliance as to whether or not masks protected 'you or others around you' whilst the UK government changed their position on this by the day. Encouraging people to order takeaway beer from their local pub via an app was a campaign the whole agency managed to get behind. Launching a neobank in France via the exclusive use of programmatic media has asked new questions of us. But probably the most challenging campaign has been launching a CBD retailer into a UK advertising environment that doesn’t allow CBD advertising; this remains an ongoing challenge.

What’s the most important thing to your agency?

Integrity.

What does the future of advertising look like to you?

Better. Better, more relevant, memorable and inspirational advertising for consumers. Better, more effective and engaging advertising for brands. Better, more profitable and sustainable advertising for media owners. Better, more rewarding careers for advertising professionals.

What industry issue is keeping you up at night?

The erosion of trust in journalistic media, and the pervasive influence of big tech.

Advertising is...

...easily dismissed as a disreputable necessity of capitalist society. Bad advertising, of which, in a world where billions of ad impressions occur online every month, there is a lot, perpetuates this idea. But good advertising is always either useful or inspirational, helping us to find that emergency plumber, access a home food delivery service, or influencing us to invest in green energy, start buying electric cars, and...

Advertising can...

...make the world a better place.

What does IPA membership mean to you?

Support and guidance. We now have access to the means by which we can improve our own business, and access to the means by which we can help influence the industry for the better.

What does the IPA mean to you?

Recognition and credibility. In an industry wedded to reputation as a barometer for capability, membership carries meaning for our colleagues and our clients alike.

Where will the IPA help you most?

Legal, training, research & insights. As a growing independent, being able to lean on the IPA to support in these high cost high value areas allows us to focus on the craft.

Why have you joined the IPA?

To accelerate the growth of our business.

Wonderhood Studios

Describe your agency in no more than five words

Creative. Human. Effective.

Which piece of work are you most proud of?

We sweat the small stuff and are proud of every piece of work on our two-year journey: from our inaugural brand film for Comic Relief winning a D&AD pencil; our award-winning work for Nike celebrating the 93 black players who have played for the England men’s football team; our campaign for Starling helping to grow the digital challenger bank 45.5% YOY, now with more downloads than Monzo; helping Karma Cola achieve national distribution in Sainsbury’s with ‘Lesley’ the bad adult in all of us: our sales-driving campaign for Three showing the highs and lows of 2020 through the eyes of our trusty phones; our new brand platform for Branston Pickle celebrating the magical ability the iconic brand has to transport us back home; our breathable billboard for Global Action Plan; our campaign for OSU capturing Japan’s oldest resident’s vigorous zest for life; and our TV show and promotional campaign for Waitrose reaching an audience of 3.5m people.

What does the future of advertising look like to you?

In a world where the ability to buy consumers' attention is radically changing, the power of creativity and a big idea to transform brand fortunes is something that endures. How we get that attention will shift, from the long-established reliance on the traditional paid-for media channels.

At Wonderhood Studios creators from a diverse range of creative industries work together to land big culturally resonant ideas for brands, in ways that better reflect the way media is consumed. From established advertising channels, to long-form TV programmes, from 140 characters, to 140 minutes, and everything in between. The future of advertising is about bringing different creative skill-sets to drive real-world talkability and cultural impact for brands.

Advertising is...

...using creativity to get ambitious brands talked about.

Why have you joined the IPA?

To play our part in moving the industry forward. And to provide outstanding support to our industry peers, our studio, our clients, and our people.